Top tips to help you manage your business through the COVID-19 Pandemic

March 27, 2020

Businesses currently find themselves in an unprecedented situation with the emergence of the COVID-19 / Coronavirus disease that has hit our country and the wider population hard.

Here is a simple checklist for businesses to consider, which concentrates on 3 key areas: your staff, your property and your clients. This is by no means a full list of all processes and procedures to follow, but may help prompt your business and give you some action points to follow.

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How are Flint dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic

Whilst all businesses are different, we are all being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Flint Insurance are also having to implement our own ideas and strategies to ensure that we are also protecting our staff, clients and property in similar ways to you. Here are some ideas that we have employed ourselves to ensure that we can continue to operate in business for the foreseeable future:

• Create a taskforce of responsible employees to focus on the management and running of the business through this difficult time. This group can include staff of all levels and creates a diverse forum to discuss ideas, air thoughts or even to help share out the many tasks involved.
• Regular notifications to staff and clients. We have sent a series of mailshots to staff and clients, as the crisis has evolved to ensure that everyone is in the loop as far as we possibly can. Client mailshots are of course focussed on the insurance angle of the pandemic; what cover is in place, how insurers are reacting for example, whereas staff briefings have included details of changes to business practices, IT, homeworking and of course, health and wellbeing.
• Staff wellbeing is a huge part of a business emerging successfully from a crisis situation such as this. Here at Flint Insurance, we have now moved all staff into a position where they can safely work from home, provided IT support and equipment where needed and also regular check-ins from senior members of staff.
• All staff are encouraged to talk, chat and do all the usual things that happen in office life. Staff are encouraged to work their regular hours, stop for coffee periodically and get some fresh air during breaks. Whatsapp groups have been set up for departments and we are ensuring that staff are invited into daily video conferences using Skype, Microsoft Teams or similar platforms so that everyone still feels like they are part of the team.
• When the point arrives that our offices are fully unoccupied, we will ensure that security is at the forefront of our minds. Security devices such as alarm systems and CCTV have been checked and will be put into operation. Perimeter fencing has been checked and our main gates will be locked. All windows and door locks will be checked and secured to ensure that the office is left as protected as possible.
• Our insurers will be advised when we vacate. If government guidelines permit, senior staff members will perform regular drive-by inspections of the premises to ensure that all is well, especially if the period until we reoccupy is prolonged further.
• Our HR and Management Team will also make sure that vital documentation is either removed from our offices or made available remotely during this period. This will include copies of our Business Continuity Plan, contact/HR details for all staff members and also our insurance schedule – just in case!